Omaha daily bee., 1887-02-07

anOther inning last week. lNe war panic
reached its highest pitch on Thursday, when
perfect frenzy possessed the bOurse. Italian,
Russian and French securities were affected
Friday the bourse was comparatively calm,
but ministerial circles ,are still pcssimestic.
While the panic lasted hundreds of families
were ruined few SPECTATORS blew their
brains out and a few mllionaires made for
tunes.
THE EDGE OF THE KNIFE.
The chief offender this time was the author
OF an atrOciouS article in the Berlin Post
headed "On the Edge of the Knife" Every
line of the article was calculated to excite
frenzy, pride, and inllame French patriotism.
Under the cover OF personal attack on Cen
eral Boulanger, it was n deliberate provoca-
ton to France Nothing so scandalous has
appeared ntheb ress since, in 1870, the same
Post startled Europe by the famous "War In
Sight article, which led to the Russian Eng
lish intervention on behalf of threatened
France and compelled the German chancellor
to repudiate the alatmist. This Edge OF the
Knife" outburst however, went too far. 1t
showed the hand of its instigators too closely.
1t is impossible now to doubt in which quar-
ter one war at least is wanted The spectre
of French revenge is trilng danger to
European peace compared with the savage
war feeling of the Prussian military party
All one hears and reads here makes it diff
cult to avoid the belief that the anti-Bouan
ger yelpng of the so-called reptilian German
press has not overthrown that much adver-
tised minister but the very opposite. | am
convinced no conceivable events would cause
such disappointment in German military
circles IN Berlin as the resignation of the pre-
tended bugbear of Germany.
Liberal. PRESS OPINIONS.
The liberal press is doing its best to undo
the mschievous effect of the anti-French
maneuvers of the Berlin Post the Cologne
Gazette and other chauyiniStic organs. The
Boersen Courier, one of the few German
papers which seem to understand Partisan
politics. has more than once denounced tho
whole campaign against Boulanger, pointing
out that ii must make the beau general more
popular in France and that but for the Ger
man attacks he would have fallen long ago.
SO clear sighted statesman rs Prince
Bismarck cannot be unaware of all of this,
yet even he has gone out of his way to make
a personal onslaught on Boulanger. The in
ference suggested by the fact may be credit
able to German craftsmanship, but it does
small honor to human nature.
CALM UNDER PRovoCATION.
The calm, self-contained attitude of the
French press under all the provocaton it Is
having eXcites wonder and admiration even
In Berlin. The best guarantee of peace lies
in its continuing to keep even So giving the
military party in Germany no pretext for
forcing things to a rupture.
OFFICERS TALK WAR;
! sat in cafe last night next to two Off
GERS, who were discussing politics. Both
seemed well informed.
First Onicer-"War is coming"
Second Onicer-"Yes, Well have it this
spring.
Myself-"War? Why WARP"
First Officer ITS in the air. Even at the
foreign Office they feel it. The excitement
must have vent somewhere"
Myself-"l}ut war with whOm?"
First Onicer-"Probably with France"
Myself-"You will provoke it then, not
FranceP'
First Ohicer-"Thats possible"
Myself-"But Germany knows France is
peaceful"
Second Onicer-"Oh, yes we believe
France is peaceful but there are the Paris
shriekers,' die schreicr"
First Onicer-"I don't see how we shall
manage to cross the French frontier. My
uncle, who is with the Fifteenth corps in
Elsass, told me that the chain of French
frontier forts seems simply impossible"
Second Onicer-"We shall have to blow
one up, but the cost to human life will be
terrific"
First Onicer-"Unless we march through
Belgium, and then En- Gland will interfere"
Second Onicrr-"Oh, England can't hurt
us. How convenient if we only had Lux
ombOurg."
Mysef-"TheGe's no talk of mobilization?'
First Oillcer-"Oh, that's never talked
about. Orders are quietly issued. Some
night you will hear of them and they will be
in effect eight hours after"
Second Onicer-It seems certain the minis
ter of war has ordered the increase of the
army in spite of the reichstag."
First Onicer-"YeS; it's quite settled. Or
ders were issued to make the proposed in
crease on the lst of April, but the press is
hushing tho matter. The French will in.
crease their army next, and then we shall
have 10 increase ours again. Unless, mean
while, we say to France: 'What does all this
increasing mean| in which ease France may
reply: Que diabe, mind your own business
or fight u.s. Damn gents los"
DULL SEASON IN BERLIN.
The Berlin season is anything but bright
this year. Rumors and general commercial
depression are not exactly conducive to
gayety in court circles. Indeed there are
hardly any signs of season. The crown
prince and crown princess are endeayoring
TO brighten matters socially.
TROUBLES OF THE CENTER PARTY.
Since Bismarck's pugnacious speech in the
Prussian landtag, Herr Windthrost's fol
lowers have been anNiously waiting to see
whether the chancellor would be able to sub
stantiate his assertion that the pope dsap-
proved of the opposition OF the center party
to the septennate In anticipation of
papal mine being sprung on then
the organs of the center have been lecturlnl
the vatican lately on the propriety of its non
interference in purely political matters
The letter of Cardinal Jacobini, 10 the papa
nuncio at Munich just published now show
that before the reichstags vote the vatican
really did express its earnest wish that the
center would, IN the interests of the church
accept the septennate. This revelation, hay
ing a two-edged effect, damages the center
as for the chancellor TO have invoked tn
pope'S assistance, or to have seemed disobe
dient to the vatican, does Bismarck small
good among his conservative protestant pan
tlsanS.